2017 B1G Previews: Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes (East Division)

Location: Columbus, OH

Stadium: Ohio Stadium (104,944)

Coach: Urban Meyer (6^th year): 61-6 at OSU/165-29 overall, 42-4 v B1G 

2016 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2)(8-1)                      2017 Ohio State Buckeyes

77        Bowling Green             10                                A31      at Indiana

48        Tulsa                              3                                S9        Oklahoma

45        at Oklahoma                24                                S16      Army

58        Rutgers                          0                                S23      UNLV

38        Indiana                        21                                S30      at Rutgers

30        at Wisconsin                23 (OT)                                    O7       Maryland

21        at Penn State               24                                O14     at Nebraska

24        Northwestern              20                                O21     idle

62        Nebraska                       3                                O28     Penn State

62        at Maryland                  3                                N4        at Iowa

17        at Michigan State       16                                N11      Michigan State

30        Michigan                     27 (2OT)                      N18      Illinois

  0        Clemson                      31                                N25      at Michigan

            (Fiesta Bowl)

Coach Urban Meyer is on the hunt to get rid of the bitter taste of the playoff loss that ended last season and to attempt to rediscover the chemistry that propelled the 2014 Buckeyes to the eighth national title in program history.

Meyer wants to have a deep passing game with a deep threat like Devin Smith was on that 2014 championship team, so he brought in former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson as their new offensive coordinator and Ryan Day, a former San Francisco 49ers assistant, as the new QB coach.  The Buckeyes still averaged 39.4 points per game in 2016 and are looking to improve that figure. 

Eight starters are back on offense, led by the venerable fifth-year senior and Heisman candidate J.T. Barrett with 6381 career passing yards, 2467 rushing yards, and 100 total touchdowns, only seven away from Dew Brees’ Big Ten record 107 career touchdowns.  Last year, Barrett picked up over 2500 yards through the air and 845 on the ground.  The ground game will be in good hands in 2017 with Barrett and redshirt sophomore RB Mike Webber, who had over 1000 yards and nine touchdowns while capturing B1G Freshman of the Year honors.  Sophomore Demario McCall will be Weber’s backup, as he was last year, when he picked up 270 yards.  Sophomore Antonio Williams saw a little action with 28 yards on six carries.  He and true freshman J.K. Dobbins add depth to the running game. 

The battle for RG will continue, right up until the season opener.  Junior Demetrious Knox appears to have the inside track, but junior Malcolm Pridgeon and sophomore Matthew Burrell showed great improvement in the spring.  The other four starters on the offensive line return, headed by senior center Billy Price, who has started every game the past three years for 41 consecutive starts and was a first-team All-American Senior Jamarco Jones and junior Isaiah Prince started every game at the tackles last year, while sophomore LG Michael Jordan was the first true freshman to start on Ohio State’s offensive line since Orlando Pace in 1994.  Jones was second-team all-B1G and Jordan was a freshman All-American.  Sophomore Branden Bowen (RT), junior Brady Taylor at center, and sophomore Matthew Burrell (RG) add depth to the line, playing on special teams and in reserve last year.

Curtis Samuel and Noah Brown’s early departure to the NFL left Ohio State down their two top receivers from 2016.  But, the Buckeyes benefit from the return of senior TE Marcus Baugh, who is the leading returning receiver with 24 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns.  Junior Parris Campbell had an outstanding spring as he is trying to fill the shoes of the departed Curtis Samuel at H-back.  Campbell started nine games a year ago and turned in 13 receptions for 121 yards.  Junior Terry McLaurin started four games and turned in 11 receptions for 114 yards and two scores.  The deep ball was a major emphasis during the spring with sophomores Binjimen Victor, K.J. Hill, Austin Mack, and junior Johnnie Dixon looking to get a lot more action this year.

                                            QB J.T. Barrett

Coach Meyer called the defensive line the strength of the team on defense, highlighted by four experienced players at DE.  Junior Sam Hubbard and senior Tyquan Lewis will start.  Hubbard pitched in 46 tackles and eight tackles for loss, highlighted by stopping Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers and forcing a field goal on a play where he was the only one between Peppers and the end zone.  Lewis has 29 tackles and led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks.  Senior Jalyn Holmes and sophomore Nick Bosa will also rotate in and they turned in 33 and 29 tackles respectively.  The interior is handled by senior Michael Hill and sophomore Dre’Mont Jones. Jones garnered 52 tackles and four TFLs and Hill 21 tackles with three TFLs.  Sophomore Robert Landers and senior Tracy Sprinkle, returning from a season-ending injury in the opener against Bowling Green, will also return on that interior. 

Senior Chris Worley moved to MLB on the first day of spring drills, after playing on the outside last year and figures to improve on his 70 tackles a year ago.  Junior Jerome Baker will be at one OLB after an outstanding 2016.  He is the leading returning tackler with 83 stops, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.  His two interceptions were turning points in games against Oklahoma and Michigan.  Senior Dante Booker ran with the first team all spring and will start at the other outside position after limited action last year.  Sophomore Malik Harrison and freshman Barron Browning were pushing for playing time until both were sidelined with shoulder injuries, but both should be ready for action soon.  Also looking well in practice has been sophomore Justin Hillard coming back from injury, and so has redshirt freshman Tuf Borland.  Nick Connor suffered a knee injury early in spring and his status is uncertain. 

Juniors Denzel Ward and Damon Arnette have big shoes to fill, replacing two cornerbacks who were first-round NFL Draft picks.  But, both stood out in the spring.  Ward turned in 23 tackles and Arnette 21 last year.  Senior safety Damon Webb is the leading returning tackler in the secondary with 57 tackles.  Senior Erick Smith and sophomore Jordan Fuller are still competing hard for the other safety spot. Smith had 16 stops and Fuller 11.  

                                            CB Denzel Ward

Talented Australian punter Cameron Johnston, who led the conference in punting for three years, will be missed.  Attempting to fill his shoes will be redshirt freshman Drue Chrisman, who was the number one punter as a high school senior by several rating organizations.  Sean Nurenberger is back and he is 16-for-24 in his career on field goals and his 106 consecutive extra points is a school record.  Long snapper Liam McCullough will be back after handling all long-snapping duties except for the Oklahoma game when he was ill. 

Ohio State finished with the best recruiting class in the conference and one of the top in the nation, highlighted by five-star recruits Jeffrey Okudah (CB), Chase Young (DE), and Baron Browning (LB).  Of the 21 signees, all but two with four or five-star ratings.

After the opener, a rare Thursday Night game against Indiana, the Buckeyes host Oklahoma on September 9.  With a win, they’ll be in good shape heading to a road game at Nebraska and then a game at home against Penn State that will, most likely, decide the B1G East champion.  But, they’ll also be tested on the road at Iowa and at Michigan.  Ohio State is the preseason favorite to get to Indianapolis out of the east, and given the depth on both sides of the ball, they’ve got a good chance to do it.

PREDICTION: 12-0 (9-0) 1^st in B1G East Division